You're Still With Me
by Spnchick09
Summary: Part 2 of Stay With Me. Martin and his daughter are celebrating important occasions together. Martin misses Ruthie terribly, and he's still coping with her death. 3 part story.
1. At Peace

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 7th Heaven.

**Author's Note: **Here's the sequel to "Stay With Me." It will consist of three chapters, and each will follow an important occasion in Jennifer's life. Just a heads up - the conversation between Martin and Ruthie is just a mental conversation. She obviously isn't there in the flesh, so the conversation is merely a spiritual, mental...thing between them. You'll see what I mean.

I hope you enjoy this. Please leave a review after you read. :)

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_**You're Still With Me**_

_**Part Two of "Stay With Me"**_

_**Chapter 1: At Peace**_

"Dad, where's my gown?" Jennifer yelled.

Martin put the picture frame, containing a picture of his wife, down on the table beside his bed, looking up when Jennifer burst into his bedroom.

"Dad, I can't find it!" she yelled, frustrated with herself.

Martin stood up, digging through his closet. "Here," he smiled, handing her a white gown.

Jennifer let out a relieved sigh, hugging her father. "Thank you. I was freaking out," she muttered, examining the gown at arm's length.

"I could tell," Martin joked.

Jennifer smiled at her father, a bright smile that went unmatched in Martin's book, aside from his late wife's.

Martin just stared at his daughter for a moment, before pulling her into a tight hug. "I love you, Jen."

Jennifer laughed a bit, while hugging her father back. "I love you too, Dad."

Martin pulled away, a few stray tears falling from his eyes. Jennifer wiped them away, putting her hands on her father's shoulders.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"I can't believe you're graduating, Jen."

"And you want Mom here, don't you?" she asked him.

Martin slowly nodded. "I miss her."

"I miss her too, Dad. She's here, though. I know you know that," she told him.

Martin smiled at his eighteen year old daughter. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" he asked.

Jennifer laughed. "Yeah, I think you've said that once or twice," she kidded.

She pecked her father on the cheek, and gave him one more hug.

"Okay, now I have to get ready. We're leaving in an hour, right?"

"Yeah!" Martin yelled. By the time he'd answered, his daughter was already in her room.

The two were living in a small house in Glenoak. After Ruthie's death, Martin had bought a house near the Camdens, and continued to live there.

His daughter was graduating today. Thirteen years after her mother had passed away, she was graduating high school.

At the top of her class.

Martin had never been more proud of her. He'd had trouble raising her on his own, but he figured she'd turned out alright. Aside from a slight mishap the year before, she'd been perfect in Martin's eyes.

She was perfect. She was the daughter of the woman he'd married.

Jennifer had grown into a beautiful woman. She had deep, green eyes, mirroring her father's. She was an undeniable brunette. Her hair flowed like silk, and was a couple inches past her shoulders.

She had the softest skin and a pearly, white smile, her teeth so perfect they blinded Martin sometimes.

Martin adjusted his tie, before putting his suit jacket on. He was dressed in a black suit, a black shirt and tie underneath, and was still wearing his wedding band, the only thing on him that wasn't black.

He never took it off.

Jennifer walked into the bedroom once more, and chuckled. "Are you going to a funeral?"

Martin quickly slipped his jacket off. "You think it's too much black? I can change," he said, undoing his tie.

"No, Dad. It's okay. I was just kidding," she assured him. While she was saying this, he was already putting on a lime green shirt and tie.

"I'll change. It's okay, Jen. Are you ready?" he asked, still looking at his neck while he tied his tie.

"Yeah. How do I look?" she asked him, turning.

Martin raised his head, and felt like he'd fall over. She was dressed in a white dress, plain and simple. It was cut low in the front, and cut in a v-shape on the back as well. Her ears were accessorized with white chandelier earrings. Her hair had been left straight, with a slight flip inward at the bottom. Jennifer's makeup was plain and simple. Her eye shadow was a glimmering shade of light brown, and her liner and mascara was also very mellow. She'd applied some lip gloss, thrown on a pair of silver heels, making her as tall as her father, and her wrist was covered by a white pearl bracelet.

_Ruthie's pearls._

"You look...amazing, Jen," Martin stuttered.

Jennifer flashed her white smile and hugged her father, who was trying not to cry again. "Thanks, Dad," she giggled, squeezing him tight before pulling away.

"Don't cry, Daddy. You'll make me cry. And I'll mess up my makeup!" she whined.

Martin sniffled, laughing. "Yeah, well, I can cry. I don't have any makeup to mess up."

Jennifer laughed, grabbing her purse off Martin's bed, where she'd thrown it when she walked in.

"Come on. I don't want to be late," she told him.

Martin nodded, grabbing his wallet off the dresser, and after slipping on his jacket, headed out the door with his daughter.

Once inside the car, Martin let Jennifer drive. His vision was too blurry anyway.

His baby girl was graduating today. She'd grown into a beautiful woman, and Martin constantly had to remind himself that she was eighteen. She looked twenty-five.

As happy as he was, he was also sad in a way. His wife wasn't here to share this with him. That's the only thing he wanted different at this point in his life. He wanted his wife here. Maybe then, Jennifer would have a little brother or sister. And Martin would get to experience this occasion more than once.

"Daddy? You okay?" he heard her ask.

Martin nodded, his forty year old eyes looking older. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Dad, I know you miss her. But you've got to find something to be happy about. I hate these types of occasions. You're always sad," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Jen. I just can't help it. I miss her so much. And it's days like these that I wish she was here."

"Dad, she is here. You know that. I know you do."

Martin sighed. "I am happy for you. Don't doubt that."

"I don't, Dad. I just hate it when you're upset like this," she told him.

"I'm sorry, babe."

"It's okay. You can let out your tears when I walk across the stage," Jennifer kidded.

Martin laughed. She always knew what to say to make him feel better.

"I love you, Jennifer. And I'm incredibly proud of you."

"I love you, too. And thanks," she grinned.

_"Mom, I don't know where she is!" Martin yelled into the phone._

_"Martin, I'm sure she's okay. It's Jennifer. She knows how to take care of herself."_

_"Yeah, and she also knows her curfew is eleven!" Martin screamed._

_"I'll call Kevin, okay? Maybe he's heard something," Annie comforted him._

_"Yeah, fine. I'll call you if she gets here," Martin muttered._

_He hung up the phone, throwing it onto the couch beside him. He fell into a chair behind him, holding his head in his hands. _

_Martin sat there for a few minutes, silently praying for his daughter to come home. Within minutes after his frantic phone call, he heard a key in the door._

_Martin jumped up, his thirty-nine year old knees crackling at the unwarned use of force to stand. When his daughter appeared in the doorway, she stumbled on her feet, before collapsing inside the doorway.  
Martin dashed over to her, shutting the door. "Jen!" he screamed._

_He fell to the floor, holding her head in his hands. When he saw her eyes were open, he breathed a sigh of relief._

_She was still breathing, and still conscious. Martin calmed down, but only for a moment._

_"Where the hell were you!" he yelled._

_Jennifer broke into a fit of giggling. "I was out."_

_Martin noticed the odor of her breath. "Are you drunk!" he accused._

_Jennifer stopped giggling. "Just a little," she admitted._

_"Jennifer Martin, you're smarter than that! Damn it, what the hell were you thinking!" he bellowed._

_"I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered, the effects of the alcohol fading._

_"God, Jen! Do you know how scared out of my mind I've been for the past two hours! You didn't even bother to call! It's one in the morning, Jennifer!" he screamed._

_"Dad, I need..."_

_"You're not going anywhere. We're going to talk about this."_

_"I need to throw up," she told him._

_Martin's expression softened, and he helped her to the bathroom. Once inside, she lunged for the toilet, barely making it before spewing everything inside of her into the toilet bowl._

_Martin listened to her gagging, and sighed. He took a washcloth and wet it. When there was a break in-between the upheavals, he'd dab her forehead, wiping away the sweat._

_Hours later, she was still sitting beside the toilet. She hadn't thrown up in about half an hour, but couldn't move. She'd lost all her energy with her expedition tonight._

_Martin had his back against the wall opposite her, watching tears pour down her cheeks. He was upset with her, without a doubt. At the same time, however, he felt sorry for her._

_"What aren't you telling me?" he asked._

_Jennifer directed her eyes upon her father, whose eyes were stone cold. "What?"_

_"There's something you're not telling me," he replied, still staring her down._

_"Dad, I don't want to tell you," she whispered._

_"You're seventeen, Jennifer. You're not even legal yet. What were you thinking?"_

_"I wasn't, okay?" she countered, looking into her father's green eyes with her own emerald ones._

_"Jen, you're so much smarter than that."_

_"How disappointed are you with me, on a scale of one to ten? Ten being very disappointed."_

_"A million," Martin truthfully answered._

_"You think you can go even lower?" she asked him._

_Martin's heart fell. "What did you do?"_

_"I had sex, Dad."_

_Just when he thought his heart had reached bottom, it fell farther. "You...you..." he stuttered._

_"I'm sorry, Dad." She seemed to be saying that a lot. "I was drunk."_

_"That's your excuse? You were drunk, so you had sex? Has me telling you to wait had no effect on you? Look at where sex before marriage got your mom," he told her._

_"It takes two, and I'm pretty sure you were the other half," Jennifer pointed out._

_Martin smiled. "That's beside the point. As far as I know, you don't even have a boyfriend right now."_

_Jennifer grinned, breaking eye contact with her father._

_"You do have a boyfriend, don't you?" The silence he received from his daughter answered his question. "Who is he?"_

_"You really think that after telling you I slept with him, I'll tell you who he is? He's a nice guy, Dad. And he loves me."_

_"Was he drunk, too?"  
"Yeah," she answered._

_"Oh, great. So apparently your whole generation is a bunch of drunken..."_

_Jennifer gave him a look._

_"People. Look, Jen. I just...I don't want anything to happen to you. You're all I've got left, you know?"_

_"I know, Dad. And I'm sorry. I really am. Believe me, I'm not going to be drinking ever again," Jennifer promised, shaking her head._

_"Headache?"  
"Yeah, a little," she chuckled._

_"Come on. I'll get you some aspirin. And then you're drinking lots of water. And THEN we're going to be talking about this guy you slept with."_

_"Yeah, why aren't you more angry about that, again?"_

_"I can't say much, Jennifer. I had sex before I got married, too. Hell, I got you."_

_Jennifer smiled._

_"I'm disappointed in you, but I know you're responsible, and you'll take care of yourself. You used protection, right?"_

_Jennifer's eyes widened. "Oh my God..." she whispered._

_Martin suddenly felt sick. "You didn't..."_

_"No, we didn't," she whispered. "Oh my God, Dad..." she mumbled, looking up to him. Her eyes filled with tears, and she felt like she was going to throw up again._

_"Jen, I can't believe this," he told her._

_"Daddy..." she cried, sounding four again._

_Martin scooted over to her, and pulled her into a tight hug. "It'll be okay, Jen. It'll be okay," he assured her, holding back tears of his own._

_"Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I screwed up," she cried, her tears wetting Martin's shirt._

_"Jenny, I love you. We'll be alright."_

_"What if I'm..." she blubbered._

_"Just tell me when you get...that," he stammered._

_Jen's smile returned. "I never thought my father would ask me to tell him when I got that."_

_Martin laughed. "Well, what else am I supposed to do?"_

_Jennifer gave her father a weak smile. "I love you, Dad."_

_"I love you, too."_

Two weeks later, Jennifer received what she'd been waiting for, and the father and daughter pair could finally breathe a huge sigh of relief. Now, less than a year after her single fault, she was graduating.

"Dad, I said we're here," Jennifer said.

Martin shook his head, stirring himself from the memories. "Yeah, I heard you. Sorry," he mumbled, getting out.

Jennifer got out as well, retrieving her gown from the back seat of the car. "Where do I go?" Martin asked.

"Oh. Uh, go through those doors and get a seat. They'll give you a program and everything once you get in, and you'll want a seat near the front," she giggled.

"Why?"

"Just sit in the front."

"Alright," Martin agreed. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and walked towards the gym.

_"Dad, what was Mom like?"_

_"You mean you don't remember her?" Martin sadly asked._

_"No, of course I remember her. I mean, what was she like before I was born?" Jennifer asked._

_It was the night before graduation, and the two were sitting on the swing, rocking back and forth on the front porch._

_"Your mom was beautiful, Jen. She was so full of spunk, always peppy. I didn't think there was any way to calm her down," Martin chuckled. "She loved New York. She'd go to bars just to dance and have a good time. That's where I first saw her, actually," Martin remembered, noticing his vision blurring up a bit._

_"Really?"  
"Yeah. I saw her in a bar, and walked over to her. Four months later, we finally got together, after years of me wanting her. And nine months after that, you were born. I wasn't even there," he whispered._

_"What was it like?"  
"What?" _

_"You know. What was **it **like?"  
"You know, I really don't feel comfortable discussing this with my eighteen year old daughter," Martin kidded._

_"Oh, come on. It's not anything I haven't done before."_

_"You two didn't ever do it again, did you?"_

_"Oh, no. We talked about it the day after, and both realized that we weren't anywhere near ready."_

_"And if something had happened?"_

_"Then we'd have had to be ready, I guess."_

_Martin looked into her eyes. "Why do you do that, Jen?"_

_"What, have sex?"_

_"No," Martin chuckled. "Make me feel happier when I just want to be depressed for an hour or so."  
"It's a gift," she replied._

_Martin's world stopped. She was more like her mother than he'd thought. _

_"What?" she asked, noticing him staring. _

_"Your mom. She, uh, she said that to me the day she died," he told her._

_"Dad," Jennifer started._

_Martin looked up. "Yeah?"_

_"When Mom died...what did you do?" she asked him._

_"Why do you want to know?"_

_"I wasn't there when she died. You were. I mean, I know you loved her more than anything, Dad. I mean, shit, you haven't..."_

_"Jennifer Martin, what did you just say?"_

_Jennifer turned red. "Can we just leave it at 'I'm not as perfect as you thought?'"_

_Martin smiled, "Yeah. I haven't what?"  
"You haven't gone on a date since she died, Dad."_

_"No one else has caught my eye," he defended himself._

_Jennifer sympathetically smiled at her father. "Dad, I love you. I just wish that you weren't so sad all the time, though. She died thirteen years ago. Surely you're over it," Jennifer said, not meaning it the way it sounded._

_"Over it? You think that I'm over the fact that my wife died at the age of twenty-four, and I've had to live thirteen years without her?"_

_"I didn't mean it that way, Dad. I just meant that you have to be at peace with it."_

_Martin was crying now. "I thought it would get easier, Jen. It's just getting harder," he whispered._

_"I'm sorry, Dad."_

_"How is it so easy for you to just go on without her?" he asked._

_Jennifer smiled. "Well, I only knew her five years. You knew her a lot longer. And I just remember all the happy things about her. I think about the times she'd take me to the park and slide down the slides with me. Or the time we went to the aquarium and I wanted to see a fish that was in the very back, and she found a worker there who brought the fish closer just so I could see it," Jennifer said, smiling wide._

_"You never told me any of this," Martin told her, smiling._

_Jennifer shrugged. "You never asked."_

"We'd now like to present our valedictorian, Jennifer Camden."

Jennifer whispered something in the principal's ear, and he smiled. "I'm sorry. Jennifer Camden-Brewer," he corrected.

Martin smiled, and clapped with the audience as she made her way over to the podium.

_God, she's beautiful, Ruthie, _he thought.

Jennifer smiled at her father, before starting her speech.

"All of us here are part of a family. While we're all different, in personalities and looks, just to name a few things, we're also one in the same.

We've all come to this high school to reach a common goal. That goal is to receive an education, that will further us in our careers and lives to come. However, we've also achieved the goal of finding ourselves.

While I can't speak for everyone, being that I don't know how everyone has responded to the daily demands of this school, I can speak for myself.

I, for one, know that I've found myself. I've found something that no one here has. Each person here, if they've found themselves, knows exactly what I'm talking about. Personally, I've found a little clipping, so to speak, of just how different, yet similar I am to these people behind me.

I feel that a family is not only a group of people that are bounded by blood, but also by their hearts and souls. What I mean by that is," Jennifer explained, "that we don't have to be considered blood relatives to consider ourselves a family, because that's what each of us make up here. A family.

I've lived without a mother thirteen years of my life. My father is seated in the front row. He and I have laughed, cried, and gone through just about every other emotion together.

My mother died of cancer..."

Martin couldn't help but drown the rest of her speech out. He was recording it anyway.

He couldn't bear to listen to his daughter reciting things about her mother's death once again, as if it was a speech she was reciting. How could she just talk about it, without getting visibly emotional at all?

_Because she's at peace with it, Martin. Death is just a part of life._

_Interesting. Death always seemed to be after life, _Martin countered.

_You have to move on, Martin. You're forty years old, and you look eighty._

_No I don't._

_Yes, you do. Believe me. Please, Martin. I love you more than anything, but if you continue to act like this, like your life is over because I'm gone, then I may have to do something about it._

Martin chuckled to himself. _I'm sorry, Ruthie. My life is over. You're gone. You're the only reason I woke up every day, Ruth. I can't get over you. I just don't want to really believe it._

_You have to, Martin. You have to believe it. It happened. I died._

_Don't say that, okay? _he thought. _I officially hate the word 'died.' Especially when it pertains to you._

_I'm sorry, but that's what I'm talking about. People can't even talk about death around you._

_Why do they need to talk about death, anyway? I don't want to talk about it._

_You have to be at peace with this. It's been almost fourteen years. I love you, but that won't bring me back to you. You have to do this on your own._

"I love you, Ruthie," he whispered aloud.

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So, that's it. Please review this. I'd like any thoughts before I post the second chapter. It's already posted, but if some small suggestions were made, I'd be glad to consider them. :) Thanks for reading. Reviews keep me writing. 


	2. Your Blessing

**Disclaimer: **Refer to Chapter One.

**Author's Note: **This is the second part of this three-part story. It's four years after the previous chapter, which is stated in the beginning of this. I hope that you see that Martin's finally moving on in this chapter. J. Daisy, I want to thank you for your suggestions. I took them into consideration and rewrote some of this chapter.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm still writing the last chapter, so suggestions can also be made there.

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_**Chapter 2: Your Blessing**_

Jennifer had graduated from high school four years ago now, and was off at college. She was majoring in education, hoping to become a fourth grade teacher at a local Christian school.

Martin had made major improvements, both in his physical and mental health. He'd finally realized that even though he was only able to callRuthie his wife for a few months, she was still with him.

At times, of course, he still felt alone. He even cried on occasion. But there weren't anymore sleepless nights. There wasn't a time when he would shut himself out from the world and listen to songs of heartbreak over and over. He'd finally learned to cope with her death, and his stress levels had immensely dropped. He figured that Jen had helped him, both by supporting him, yet urging him on, and he'd finally reached the top of his gigantic mountain.

Martin was eating his breakfast, two slices of toast with marmalade, and reading the paper. He was interrupted by his cell phone ringing, and he quickly popped another bite of toast in his mouth before picking it up and answering.

"Hullo?" he answered, his mouth still full of toast.

"Dad? It's Jen."

"Hi, babe. How are you?"

"I'm great. What time are Hayden and I coming over for dinner tonight?"

"When would you like to come? I don't really have any preference. I'll be here all day."

"Well, how's six? I have one class today, but I've got to run some errands."

"Yeah, that's fine, Jen. How is Hayden?" he asked.

"We're fabulous," Jennifer answered, giggling.

Martin smiled. "Good. I'll see you at six, then."

"Alright. I love you, Dad."

"Love you, too."

Martin closed his phone, and went back to his previous task, eating his toast.

* * *

Martin buttoned up his shirt, which was a dark red shade, before looking in the mirror. He admitted to himself, he did look much better. After he'd learned to accept Ruthie's death, life had become much easier. He'd even gone on a date a few times. They hadn't worked out, however. Martin just didn't feel comfortable with another woman. Or maybe he just hadn't found the right one. He didn't care, honestly. Whatever happened in the future happened. Martin knew he didn't have any control over it.

But his daughter had found the right guy, he felt. His daughter was coming into town with her boyfriend, Hayden. Apparently, this was a special occasion, so Martin had dressed appropriately for it.

He quickly put in his contacts, which he'd had to start wearing recently, and became frustrated when they wouldn't go in correctly. After about two minutes of struggling to get them in, he gave up, and grabbed his glasses off the bedside table. They were thin, and made Martin feel older than he was. Today, however, he didn't care. His daughter was coming home.

After thirty minutes of attempting to make dinner, he ended up calling take-out. Fifteen minutes later, he heard the doorbell.

He quickly made his way towards the front door, and hurriedly opened it.

"Jen!" he exclaimed.

"Hi, Dad!" she squealed, jumping into his arms.

The two hadn't seen each other in almost three months, and it was obvious by the greeting they shared.

Martin kissed her forehead, putting her down with a large smile. He then noticed Hayden in the doorway.

Hayden was twenty-five, three years older than Jennifer. He had hazel eyes and was a short-haired brunette, with a few strands of hair sweeping in front of his eyes.

Martin had to admit, Hayden was a "real nice guy," as he referred to him when talking to Jennifer. He'd treated her well, always making sure Martin knew she was okay and being protected while at school.

By the way Hayden was shifting on his feet, Martin knew something was up.

"Uh, come in," he ushered, allowing Hayden and Jennifer to begin walking to the dining room. "I tried to make spaghetti, but it didn't work out too well. So, I ordered take-out."

"You didn't order Chinese, did you?" Jennifer asked, wrinkling her nose.

"I'll go cancel the order," Martin chuckled.

Jennifer laughed along with him. "I'll go make something. We can eat in half an hour," she told him.

Hayden kissed his girlfriend, watching her waltz her way to the kitchen.

"Mr. Brewer, I was wondering if we could talk alone for a few minutes," Hayden inquired.

"Sure. Uh, we can talk in the living room, if you like. Just let me go cancel the take-out, alright?"

Hayden nodded, walking in the direction of the room Martin had specified. He sat alone for a few minutes, twiddling his thumbs, before Martin came back into the living room.

"What's up?" Martin asked, sitting down.

"I love Jen with all of my heart," Hayden said quickly.

Martin laughed a bit, before replying, "I can tell."

"I was hoping that I could have your blessing," Hayden said. "I'm planning to propose to her."

Martin's eyes widened, allowing his back to hit the chair. "When?" he asked.

"I have the ring already, sir. If I can get your blessing, I'd like to propose tonight. I know this is something that would be a joyous event for Jen, and I'm sure she'd like to share it with you as soon as it happens anyway," Hayden chuckled.

Martin was still stunned. "You're going to propose?"

"With your blessing, Mr. Brewer."

Martin was still a minute, before smiling at Hayden. "What do you plan on doing?"

"Excuse me?" Hayden asked, not understanding the question.

"I mean what are you going to do with your life. Job-wise."

"Oh," Hayden sighed, laughing nervously. "I've already gotten a job with a technology center. It pays very well, so Jen and I will be financially stable."

Martin was silent, staring Hayden in the eyes. It was difficult to think of letting Jennifer go, but at the same time, he knew she'd be well taken care of.

"Mr. Brewer?" Hayden inquired.

Martin blinked a few times, before smiling at Hayden. "If you're marrying my daughter, you're going to have to start calling me Dad."

Hayden now had an enormous grin on his face. He quickly stood, walking over to shake Martin's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Brewer. I promise, I'm going to make her happier than you know."

Martin stood, exchanging a "manly" hug with Hayden. "I know. I trust you."

Hayden shook his hand once more, before reaching into his pocket for the ring.

Martin gasped aloud, admiring the piece of jewelry Hayden had chosen. It was a one-karat diamond, with two small emeralds on either side. It was on a silver band, and Martin found himself asking to hold it.

"Sure," Hayden said, handing it to him.

"Can I ask you something?" Martin asked.

Hayden nodded.

"Why emeralds?" he asked, pointing to the ring.

Hayden smiled. "It matches her eyes," he simply explained.

Martin grinned. "Good answer."

He returned the ring, and imagined it being placed on Jen's hand. The thought gave him chills.

"There you are!" Jennifer announced.

Hayden quickly shoved the box back into his pocket, and the two pretended to be in a very interesting conversation.

"Well, uh, yes, I see what you're saying," Martin stuttered.

"Okay. I'm glad we cleared that up," Hayden said, eyeing Martin. He then noticed Jennifer in the doorway. "Jen, I had no idea you were here! I mean, I knew you were here, but I didn't know you were in this room!" Hayden babbled, hugging her. He quickly spun her around, so that his head rested on top of her shoulder, and Jennifer wasn't looking at her father.

Martin mouthed "Smooth" to Hayden, who just rolled his eyes, making Martin smile.

"What's going on?" Jennifer asked, once she'd been released from Hayden's grasp.

"Nothing. Is dinner ready, hon?" Martin asked.

Jennifer was quiet a moment, eyeing the two before nodding. "Yeah, dinner's ready."

* * *

An hour later, the dinner dishes had been put away, and the three were still sitting at the table.

Martin could tell that Hayden looked completely uneasy, and noticed a sense of fear in his eyes. Martin finally made eye contact with him, and urged him on.

"Um, Jen," Hayden stammered, looking to Martin for support.

Martin merely smiled, his eyes laughing behind his thin-rimmed glasses, before Hayden continued.

"You have made me so happy. I..." he stuttered.

Jen smiled, looking deep in Hayden's eyes. "You what?"

"I'm so thankful to have you in my life. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy."

Jennifer's smile grew. "That's so sweet," she giggled, oblivious.

Hayden rose from the table, and stood beside her, taking her hand in his. "I love you more than anything. I asked your father for his blessing earlier this evening, and he's given it to me."

Jennifer realized what was going on. She looked over to her father, with wide eyes. "Dad..." she stuttered, cocking her head.

Hayden crouched down, until he was on one knee. Jennifer's hands flew to her mouth, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Jennifer Martin, will you marry me?" he asked, popping open the box.

"Oh my God," she gasped, seeing the ring.

Martin smiled, taking off his glasses so he could rub his moist eyes.

"Jen, you have to answer him," Martin kidded.

She admired the ring for a few more moments, before looking into Hayden's eyes with a smile.

"Yes," she whispered.

Hayden smiled, happier than he'd ever been. He quickly removed the ring from the box, and slid it onto her waiting finger.

Martin smiled, and Jennifer ran over to hug him.

"Thank you, Daddy!" she gushed.

Martin chuckled. "What did I do?" he asked.

"You're letting me get married," she told him, laughing and crying at the same time.

It suddenly hit Martin. "You're getting married," he whispered.

* * *

"Dad, how's my dress?" she asked.

It was the day of Jennifer's wedding, eight months after she'd become engaged. She and Martin were in the lobby of the church, waiting on the procession to start.

Eric was doing the wedding for the young couple, which wasn't a surprise. After Martin had told his in-laws that Jennifer was engaged, they'd immediately offered to take care of it all. Although Martin had insisted he do something, the Camdens had refused.

Martin checked her, watching with a smile as she turned around and showed off the gown.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

Jennifer had a smile on her face now, and thanked her father. "You ready?" she asked.

"Am I ready? All I have to do is walk you down the aisle and say one line. You have to promise a guy you'll be with him forever."

"True. But you're giving me away, Dad. You think you can do that?"

Martin nodded with false confidence. "Yeah, I can."

Jennifer laughed. "No, you can't. I'll nudge you when you when you have to say your line, okay?"

Martin nodded quickly. "Okay. That will definitely help," he said sheepishly.

The two turned to face the doors before them, and the procession started. First came groomsmen and bridesmaids, of course. Jennifer had picked a few of her friends, as had Hayden, for their wedding parties. The ring bearer, Hayden's nephew, followed. Next in line came the flower girl, Anna Maria. Matt and Sarah had adopted a daughter a few years ago, after learning they couldn't conceive. They looked on with pride, smiling as she sprinkled white rose petals down the aisle.

Then, the wedding march started. Martin took a deep breath, and Jennifer shortly followed. "This is it," he heard her whisper.

"What?"

"The last time I'm walking down the aisle of the church as a single woman," she answered.

Martin felt his hands shaking. "Help me, Ruthie," he whispered.

The two began walking down the aisle, slowly, Martin having to make sure he was on the right foot. Jennifer was widely smiling at everyone she passed, and she could see all the women pointing at how beautiful her floor-length dress was.

She remembered picking the dress out. It was pure white, not a single color anywhere. While it was strapless, it hugged her tight frame beautifully. The top of her dress was similar to that of a corset, hugging her curves. It was lined in beads, a few sequins here and there, and caught the light in such a way that she looked just like an angel. The dress was a silky material from the waist down, with a slight train behind her. A veil had been placed over her face, even though it would be pushed backwards soon.

The father and daughter had reached the altar, and stood before Eric. Eric saw Ruthie's smile upon Jennifer's face, and remembering his daughter caused him to smile, yet tear up at the same time.

Eric took a deep breath, and said, "Who gives this woman?"

Martin was stone silent, and received a nudge from his daughter. "Oh, um, I..."

Jennifer squeezed her father's hand, and that was all the reassurance he needed.

"Ruthie and I do," he said quietly.

Eric's heart stung with pain at the mention of his daughter. He recovered quickly, however, smiling.

Eric was surprised when he saw a smile upon Martin's face as well. Years of prayers had finally helped Martin move on, he realized. Eric had almost expected Martin to break down, but he was able to stand strong. He was even sitting next to a blonde woman, whom he seemed interested in.

* * *

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Hayden Stewart," Eric choked out.

The ceremony had been filled with laughter and smiles in the room. Martin was again crying, but this time, he was crying tears of joy. Of course, there were a few tears of missing _her, _but his heart didn't swell with pain. And he was able to smile, breathe normally, and clap for his beautiful daughter.

He knew she'd be moving out, and the thought made him sigh. Jennifer was always there. Maybe that was the reason that he'd been so close to her. Whenever he felt like breaking down, she was there. And she was always able to help him. Now, though, he enjoyed her company for a different reason.

But now she wouldn't be there everyday. And he was a bit upset.

It was difficult, a father letting go of his daughter, but Martin knew he had the strength to get through it.

He smiled wider as she began running down the aisle, and watched her go out the doors.

His daughter was married.

* * *

So that's it. I hope you enjoyed this part. Next chapter, Martin will become a grandfather. :) Please review. Suggestions are gladly appreciated. 


	3. I Love You

**Disclaimer: **Refer to Chapter One.

**Author's Note: **So, this is the end of it. It jumps a bit at the end...lol...but I just kind of thought of the ending on a whim. I honestly have no clue how the ending is. I just wrote it without thinking twice about it. :) So, I hope you enjoy this. Please leave a review.

Oh, by the way, I had no idea that the Hayden I was describing was similar to Hayden Christensen. Just a coincidence. :)

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 3: I Love You**_

"Hayden!" Jennifer screamed.

Hayden ran for the living room, where his wife was sitting on the couch in horror.

"My water broke!" she yelled.

_Martin had watched sadly as Jennifer removed all her remaining belongings from his home. She was moving in with Hayden, so her dorm and room at home had been emptied out. He was going to miss her, because now he was all by himself._

_"Dad, I'll visit often. Besides, Hayden and I only live fifteen minutes away," she assured him, giving him a hug._

_"I know. It's just weird looking at an empty room."_

_Jennifer smiled. "You can fill it, Dad. Maybe with exercise equipment, or a game room. Or a bigger office."_

_Martin grinned. "I'll think of something."_

_Hayden came into the bedroom, standing beside his wife. "You ready, hon?" he asked._

_Jennifer nodded, kissing him. "Yeah, I'll meet you at the car."_

_Hayden nodded, picking up the box Jennifer had just finished packing. He headed for the door, leaving Jennifer to say goodbye to her father._

_"I love you, Dad," she whispered, hugging him tight._

_Martin hugged her as tight as he could, not wanting to let her go. "I love you too, Jen."_

_After a minute of holding onto each other, she pulled away, wiping a few tears from her eyes._

_"You know how they always talk about how hard it is for a father to watch his daughter get married and move out?" Martin asked._

_Jennifer nodded. _

_"I didn't believe it until now. This is one of the hardest things I've had to do," he confessed.  
Jennifer sympathetically smiled. "It must be pretty hard then, considering this is up there with Mom's death."_

_Martin nodded, kissing her cheek. "Go. Go start your life as a married woman," he told her._

_Jennifer grinned, giving her father one last hug before walking out of her bedroom for the last time._

"My wife's in labor," Hayden stated, almost toppling over the nurses station of the hospital.

"How long has she been having contractions?" the woman asked, without even looking up.

Hayden turned to his wife, who was in a wheelchair. "How long, babe?" he asked.

"About twenty minutes," she breathily replied, gripping the handles of the chair.

Hayden looked back to the woman behind the station, who'd heard Jennifer's reply. "Alright. How many weeks is she?"

The conversation was interrupted by a scream from Jennifer, who was wailing in her wheelchair. Hayden quickly crouched to her side, allowing her to squeeze the pain away through his hand. After her contraction had passed, she let out an enormous sigh, before popping her eyes open.

"Call my dad."

_"Yeah, put that there," Jennifer instructed._

_Hayden obeyed, hanging the banner that said, "Welcome home, Grandpa," over the front entry._

_Martin was still at work, and Hayden and Jennifer had let themselves in with Jen's house key. The two had confirmed a pregnancy recently, and they were telling Martin today._

_Hayden finished posting the banner, and joined his wife on the ground once again. He greeted her with a kiss, and placedhis hand on top of her stomach._

_"I can't believe there's a baby in there," he chuckled._

_Jennifer giggled. "I know," she replied, placing her hand on top of his. "But the doctors insist there is, so..." she kidded._

_The two heard a key in the door, and turned around quickly. The banner was perfectly placed, so that as soon as Martin walked in, he'd see it._

_Martin began walking into his home, jumping and screaming when he saw some unexpected guests in his foyer._

_"What...you scared me!" he yelled, smiling._

_He exchanged a hug with his daughter, and shook Hayden's hand, ushering a "Hello."_

_Hayden and Jennifer had enormous smiles on their faces, while Martin was oblivious to it._

_"What's going on?" he asked._

_The couple was silent, waiting for him to figure it out. Martin looked from his daughter's laughing gaze, to the banner above them._

_"Welcome home, Grandpa," he muttered aloud._

_He was silent, trying to figure out what the banner meant. As soon as he realized it, his eyes widened, his entire expression changing. "Are you pregnant?" he screamed._

_Jennifer nodded. "Yes!" she squealed._

_Martin turned towards Hayden, eyes cold. "You impregnated my daughter?"_

_Jennifer had to keep herself from laughing at Martin's steely gaze, while Hayden looked petrified._

_"Uh..."_

_Jennifer sighed. "Dad, quit it. Grandpa didn't even know who my father was, and he certainly didn't kill you when he found out."_

_Martin chuckled, starting to smile. "Yeah, well...I'm not Eric."_

_"Oh, believe me. I know," Jennifer replied, rolling her eyes._

_Martin smiled. "How far along are you?"_

_"Ten weeks," Jennifer answered._

_Martin hugged her, muttering a Congratulations, and when he turned to Hayden, Hayden still looked freaked out._

_"See a ghost?" Martin asked._

_"No. Just an angry father-in-law," he squeaked._

_Martin laughed, causing Hayden to relax, and hugged him._

Martin walked the familiar path to Ruthie's grave, holding a bouquet of red roses.

Once he'd reached her, he brushed away the weeds, and a few stray pieces of paper, before sitting down.

"Hey," he greeted.

His greeting was met by the wind brushing against his back. Martin smiled, feeling her presence.

"Jennifer's having a baby. I'm sure you know that," he chuckled.

He was still a moment, before starting to spill his soul out to her, as he'd done so many times before.

"It's getting easier. I don't wake up crying anymore. I don't have nightmares. I can't believe how down in the pits I was," he laughed nervously.

"I still miss you, though. My heart still aches sometimes. But I think I'm getting...I know I'm getting better," he corrected himself.

"Jen told me she's having a girl. They haven't decided on a name, though. We're going to be grandparents. Hard to believe, isn't it?"  
Martin sighed, turning his wedding band with his thumb and index finger. "I can't tell you how thankful I am that you gave me Jennifer. She's kept me together."

Silence met him once again. Honestly, he was tired of one-way conversations. But they helped him, he knew. So he continued to talk to her.

"Your mom asked me once, if it was hard to look at Jennifer. I told her that some days it was the most difficult thing to do. Some days, I couldn't look at her at all. Others, I cried on her shoulder.

She's so mature, Ruthie. She knew what days I wanted her to leave me alone, and when I needed her the most. Kind of like you."

He waited a moment, before confessing to something she already knew.

"I'm dating someone," he whispered. "Her name's Lauren. She's sweet. Kind of the person you'd be friends with."

Martin took a sigh, before continuing. "She lost her husband in a car accident a couple years ago. She doesn't have any kids. Jen loves her, too, though."

Martin's heart stopped. _Love. _He'd never really thought he'd be able to love someone again. Now, he just might love Lauren.

"Ruthie, I..." he paused. "I used to think falling in love with someone else was impossible. But I think you helping me move on has helped me find Lauren. You sent her to me, didn't you?" he chuckled.

His cell phone began ringing, and he took it out of his pocket. An unrecognized caller appeared on his phone, and he answered with a confused expression.

"Hello?"

"Dad? It's Hayden. Jen's in labor," he frantically explained.

"Oh my God. I'll, uh, I'll be there right away," he told him.

Hayden didn't bother saying goodbye before he hung up, leaving Martin to stare at his phone.

"Our daughter's having a baby," he whispered to her.

* * *

Martin was sitting in a waiting room, flipping through a magazine. Jennifer had been taken into the delivery room by the time Martin had arrived, so he was waiting on news of his daughter. The magazine he'd been reading was a Sports Illustrated, surprisingly enough. 

He'd look up every once in a while, seeing who was in the room, and the looks on their faces. He saw some fathers, ecstatic and anxious. He saw others, petrified and worried. There were a couple who only looked seventeen or eighteen, and Martin felt connected to them. After all, he and Sandy were almost in the same situation years ago.

He'd called the Camdens. Eric and Annie were the only ones that still lived at the parsonage, while Kevin and Lucy still lived in Glenoak. At last call, they were on their way.

Lauren was sitting beside him, awaiting on the news with Martin. She was forty-two, blonde with blue eyes, and was just as excited to see Martin's granddaughter as he was.

Martin was so intrigued in the magazine issue he'd had that he didn't notice Hayden walking in with a bundle of pink blankets in his arms.

Lauren looked up, and nudged Martin.

"Hey..." she whispered.

Martin looked up straight in front of him, and Hayden was standing there, a smile as wide as the Mississippi on his face.

Martin stood up quickly, while Lauren met him at his side. "Oh my..." Martin stammered.

Hayden offered his daughter to Martin, smiling. "We're still deciding on a name," he told him.

Martin couldn't utter a word. He was mesmerized by the beauty of her. He'd never seen a newborn up close before, since Sandy never had their baby, and Ruthie didn't tell him about Jennifer being born.

Martin felt tears welling up in his eyes, as he stared down at the baby girl in his arms. She started to squirm a bit, and Martin handed her back to Hayden.

"She's beautiful," Martin whispered.

He was silent a minute, before asking, "How's Jen?"

Hayden breathed a sigh of relief. "She's fine. It was tough on her. The baby was breach, so Jen was in a lot of pain from the start of it. She's better now, though. They're just cleaning her up," Hayden explained, not taking his eyes off his newborn daughter.

"Good," Martin replied.

"Hey, Lauren," Hayden greeted, just now realizing she was in the room.

"Hi," she replied, giving Hayden a quick hug. "Congratulations," she told him.

Hayden smiled in thanks, and heard pairs of footsteps behind him.

Members of the Camden family were standing in the doorway, with huge smiles on their faces. Kevin and Lucy were in front, along with Savannah and Josh, their son. Eric and Annie were behind them, both looking much older.

They walked in slowly, gaping at the small child. "She's beautiful," Annie whispered. "Look at her little fingers!" Lucy cooed.

Martin stood on in silence, watching with a smile. Hayden looked ecstatic, and suddenly realized just how long he'd been outside.

"Oh wow," Hayden chuckled. "Jen's hasn't even seen her yet. I've gotta go," he said,taking his daughter from Martin andwalking quickly towards the delivery room.

The Camdens watched him walk away, all of them smiling.

"Martin, what's her name?" Annie asked.

"Uh, they haven't named her yet," Martin told her.

Lucy was already enjoying a conversation with Lauren, and Martin smiled. He did love Lauren. And it had taken him years to realize he could love again.

* * *

Martin stopped his car in the graveyard, once again returning to his first wife. 

He walked slowly, carrying no flowers. He was, however, wearing a tux.

He'd married Lauren today.

He sat beside Ruthie, while Lauren waited patiently in the car. He was careful not to sit in a patch of mud, so his tux wouldn't get dirty.

"Hey," he whispered.

Martin smiled, content with the silence around him.

"Jen had the baby a month ago. They named her Ruthie Leigh Stewart."

He grinned. "They named her after you."

Martin figured it was time to stop pointing out the blatantly obvious to her, and to let go of everything.

"I married Lauren. I love her. I don't know if I love her like I love you," he admitted, "but I know I love her. She and I have both lost a spouse, so we know that it's not going to be anything..."

He choked, afraid to keep talking. He hadn't gotten this emotional for a while.

Martin hurriedly wiped his eyes, sighing. "When will this end, Ruth?" he asked her.

"I'm tired," he whispered. "I'm tired of hurting. I'm tired of wanting you here. I'm sick of the constant reminder that Jen's had to grow up without a mother. And that your granddaughter will never know you," he whispered.

Martin took a deep, shaky breath, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He saw the gravestone in front of him, noticing how much older it looked. It had been, what, sixteen, maybe seventeen years since she'd died?

Martin sighed. "I miss you, babe. And I'm always going to love you."

Martin stood, rising to meet his newly wedded wife.

"Always," he repeated.

He then took a few cautious steps away from her, before turning and walking back to his car. Back to the woman he'd married today. While it hurt, it also healed him. He realized that he'd finally accepted her death.

He smiled, and looked up to the heavens. "I love you," he whispered.

_Martin, now seventy-one, kissed Lauren goodnight, and rolled over. It was the last time he'd kiss her. And the last time he'd roll over in his bed._

_He felt it happening. Death was approaching him. But he wasn't worried. And when it came, he suddenly found himself to be twenty-seven years old again._

_Martin, of course, had no idea what heaven would be like. From what he was seeing so far, however, he liked it._

_He walked slowly, admiring the beauty of it. He'd been looking around so much, he didn't see the woman in front of him._

_"Hi," Ruthie greeted, smiling._

_Martin grinned, pulling her into a hug. He picked her up off her feet, and kissed her hard. He'd missed this. He'd missed her._

_He let her down, slowly, holding onto her hands. He noticed how beautiful she looked. She looked like her old self, like she did the night Martin first found her in a bar. Her head was no longer bald, her eyes no longer lifeless._

_"I've missed you," she whispered, tears in her eyes._

_"God, you have no idea," he cried, kissing her again._

_The two held onto each other, remembering everything that had happened while they were alive._

_"I love you, Ruth," he said, smiling._

_Ruthie chuckled. "I love you, too."_

_Martin then took her hand, and walked with her. He was finally with her again, and he hadn't been this happy in years._

_He was with his wife. The woman he'd cried over for years. The woman that had broken his heart and pieced it back together again._

_But none of that mattered now. He was with the love of his life._

_And she couldn't ever leave him again._

* * *

So, that's the ending. Yeah, a little "supernatural," but I wanted to kind of end it on a note like that. I didn't know it'd be something like this, but it works, I guess. 

I love writing, and I'm glad that others enjoy reading it. Please leave a review. :)

Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. :)


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